Eczema Specialist
-
- Tweet
Catherine Fuller, MD
Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Specialist located in West Los Angeles, CA
Up to 20% of infants and 3% of adults have a chronic skin disease called eczema. If you or your child has dry, inflamed and itchy skin, you may need treatment for eczema. While many children outgrow eczema before their teen years, others have eczema symptoms off and on for their entire life. If your skin condition causes discomfort, call or book an appointment with Catherine Fuller, MD, online. Dr. Fuller treats patients of all ages for eczema at her practice in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
Eczema Q & A
What is eczema?
Eczema is a term to describe a group of chronic skin diseases that cause rashes along with dry, itchy, and irritated skin. The most common form of eczema is atopic dermatitis, which often heralds “the allergic march.” This includes the development of atopic dermatitis, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, and then asthma. There are now excellent treatments for atopic dermatitis.
What are the symptoms of eczema?
Eczema symptoms target certain areas of your skin, most commonly the face, back of the knees, hands, feet, and wrists. Regardless of where the skin is affected, eczema causes itchy skin with or without a rash.
Eczema-affected skin will be dry and appear scaly or thicker than the unaffected skin. Once the affected skin is under control, it is important to maintain hydration of the skin even in the unaffected areas. If you have symptoms of eczema, call Dr. Fuller to learn about your treatment options.
What causes eczema?
The cause of eczema is unknown, but eczema commonly affects individuals with a history of asthma or other allergies, and who have family members with eczema. Eczema is considered an allergy caused by an overreaction in your immune system to an irritant.
People with eczema may experience symptoms in response to touching rough or coarse materials, as a result of being too cold or too hot, or after exposure to soap or detergent. Some people experience eczema symptoms after exposure to animal danger or after having upper respiratory infections. In some people, stress can cause eczema symptoms to worsen.
How is eczema diagnosed and treated?
Dr. Fuller will evaluate your skin and take a thorough history. As many people with eczema also have allergies, Dr. Fuller may recommend allergy tests to determine potential allergens to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
The four pillars of atopic dermatitis treatment include:
- Emollient therapy to maintain hydration and skin integrity
- Antihistamines to prevent itching
- Anti-inflammatory topicals
- Anti-infective topical therapy if necessary
For atopic dermatitis that does not respond to standard therapy, Dr. Fuller has experience with an advance biologic therapy, called Dupixent.
You don’t have to suffer from dry, itchy skin. Call Dr. Catherine Fuller for an appointment or use the online booking tool and learn about your eczema treatment options.
